Innovative
solutions to the design, management and maintenance of urban
greenspace

Bergsjön,
Gothenburg, Sweden

Example
of an eco-project, consisting of wetland, biological
experiments, a farm for children and a recycling business.
The involvement of the immigrant community in looking after
greenhouses andmaking vegetable gardens.

Like Gårdsten,
Bergsjön's population is made up of approximately 90%
immigrants.

In one housing area a
project involved the creation of an ecological house where
plants and vegetables could grow. An unusual feature is that
the people in charge are women immigrants (from
Syria).

At first the men were
suspicious of the project and reluctant to help, but now
they are beginning to be involved, for example, with digging
in the garden.

Note on The ECO
Project Returhuset - improving health and living conditions
for immigrants

In Bergsjön, a
district with a large population of immigrants, an
ecologically-oriented renewal and development project has
been going for a couple of years. The local authority
executive set up an extensive action programme to stimulate
ecological city development. One of the projects deals with
unemployment following an ecological theme, and is a
co-operative project between the district administration,
district councils, individuals, various organisations and
companies. The project covers both practical and theoretical
environmental work, e.g. different aspects of frugal use of
resources and raising interest for environmental issues
among project participants and the general public.